FSC STD BRA 01 2001 V1 1 Brazil Natural Forest EN

Forest Stewardship Council®

FSC® STANDARD
FSC Standard for Forest Management on “Terra Firme” in the
Brazilian Amazon
FSC-STD-BRA-01-2001 V1-1 EN

VERSION 1-1

All rights reserved FSC® Brasil

March 2002

Forest Stewardship Council®

Title:

FSC Standard for Forest Management on “Terra Firme” in the
Brazilian Amazon

Document reference

code:

FSC-STD-BRA-01-2001 V1-1 EN
Brazil

Scope:
Effective date:

March 2002. Criterion 6.10 reviewed in June 2015.

Contact:

FSC Brasil
Rua Luis Coelho, 320 - Cj. 82 - Consolação
01309-000 - São Paulo - SP – Brasil
Tel./Fax: + 55 11 3884-4482

E-mail for comments:

info@fsc.org.br

© 2002 Forest Stewardship Council, A.C. All rights reserved.
No part of this work covered by the publisher’s copyright may be reproduced or copied in any form
or by any means (graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, recording
taping, or information retrieval systems) without the written permission of the publisher.

Note: This is a free translation from Brazilian Portuguese. This version is under review according
to the new FSC Principle and Criteria.

The Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) is an independent, not for profit, non-government
organization established to promote environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and
economically viable management of the world's forests. FSC’s vision is that the world’s forests
meet the social, ecological, and economic rights and needs of the present generation without
compromising those of future generations.

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Introduction to the document:
This document was produced as a guide for certification of forest management on “terra firme” in the
Brazilian Amazon, in accordance with the procedures recommended by the FSC.
The working group in FSC Brazil (WGFSC-BR) which produced the document is made up of eighteen
members: six of the members are representatives of social movements in regions with native forests
and plantations. Six members of the group are representatives of the environmental movement which
focuses on native forests and plantations; and six members of the group represent the economic sector
which deals with native forests and plantations.
The guide may be used for large enterprises as well as for community forest management and small
projects. The forest management may be oriented toward the extraction of timber and non-timber
products in accordance with the management plan.
This document shall be revised every five years or receive changes to be submitted to the FSC Board
whenever there are changes in local legislation, technological innovations or changes in the P&C FSC.

Definitions used in this document:
1 – The term MUST implies obligation.
2 - The Principles and Criteria here defined are applicable for all the areas defined as FOREST
MANAGEMENT UNITS taking into consideration the peculiarities, scale of the organization, and the
management intensity.

3- The general term used in this document to refer to the areas where the Principles, Criteria and
Indicators are applicable is the FOREST MANAGEMENT UNIT.
4 – In this document, FOREST WORKER refers to every worker active in any of the forest
management activities. It may be the an employee or a contractors' employees.
5 – As a general rule, in the case of Community forest management, the peculiarities and the scale of
the enterprise should be taken into account.

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GLOSSARY
In this document, the following words are to be understood as follows:
Apprentices: person less than 18 years of age who is legally permitted to work as long as the
requirements and norms of the current legislation are met and as long as the person has access to
education according to the frequency required by law (Child and Adolescent Protection Law [Law
8.069/1999, chapterV])
Biological control agents: Living organisms used to eliminate or regulate the population of other living

organisms.
Biological diversity values: the intrinsic ecological, genetic, social, economic, scientific, educational,
cultural, recreational and esthetical value of biological diversity and its components. (see the
Convention on Biological Diversity, 1992)
Biological diversity: The variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia,
terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part;
this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems. (see Convention on
Biological Diversity, 1992)
Border Effect: alterations of forest vegetation along the borders of forest areas due to environmental
changes (more light and water) caused by the felling of trees or their natural absence due to other
factors (aside from the suppression of trees by humans).
Chain of custody: The channel through which products are distributed from their origin in the forest to
their end-use.
Chemical pruducts: The range of fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, and hormones which are used in
forest management.
“Aviamento” System: A system of commercialization by which the owner of an enterprise organizes
the sale of products on credit to the employees of the enterprise. Usually this is done in a small and
simple store called “barracão”. The prices of the supplies are always higher than in the regular market.
Generally the workers (and/or extractivists) are obliged to forced work in order to try to pay their neverending debt.
Connectivity: Measurement of the degree of linkage between among remaining vegetation types,

which are left after the fragmentation of their habitats.
Control Area: areas designated for the monitoring of environmental impact caused by the extraction of
timber. Five percent of the total area of the management unit shall be designated in this category. The
control area shall be continuous, representative of the entire property, and shall not be used for the
harvest of forest products.
Criterion (pl. Criteria): A means of judging whether or not a Principle (of forest stewardship) has been

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fulfilled.
Customary rights: Rights which result from a long series of habitual or customary actions, constantly
repeated, which have, by such repetition and by uninterrupted acquiescence, acquired the force of a
law within a geographical or sociological unit.
Ecological Functions: functions which affect the environment and the flora and fauna striving for an
equilibrium between the physical surroundings, the environment and the flora and fauna in a given
area.

Ecological productivity: all products of plant or animal origin obtained from the forest, except the
wood..
Ecosystem: A community of all plants and animals and their physical environment, functioning
together as an interdependent unit.
Endangered specie: Any species which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion
of its range.
Endemic specie: Native species which are restricted to a defined geographic area.
Environmental services: A set of benefits generated by natural or cultivated ecosystems, usually
without market value. They are also known as “positive environmental externalities”. These include
conservation of watersheds, sequestration of carbon, conservation of biodiversity etc.
Exotic specie: An introduced species not native or endemic to the area in question.
Forest management plan and annual operational plan: The forest management plan and the annual
operational plan are written documents based on technical criteria, which conform to the environmental
legislation and with other national laws. The management plan refers to the ordering of forest activities
in the management unit as a whole, and the annual operation plan refers to the specific activities during
the current year.
Forest management/manager: The people or group responsible for the implementation of the
management of the forest resource and of the organization, as well as the management system and
structure, the planning and field operations. For this document this refers to the land owner(s), the party
who retains the rights to the use of the land, and to the legally responsible for the forest management

unit, which could be either a enterprise or a community organization.
Forest Management: administration of the forest in order to obtain economic and social benefits while
respecting the mechanisms of environmental sustainability of the ecosystem under management.
Forest Services: Non material products of forests areas or hard to measure useful to human beings
(such as carbon sequestration, control of water runoff, etc.)
Fragment: remainder of an isolated natural ecosystem isolated because of natural or anthropic barriers

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which result in a significant reduction of the genetic flux among animals or plants.
Genetically modified organisms: Biological organisms which have been induced by various means to
consist of genetic structural changes which could not occur naturally or spontaneously.
Harvest Map: a map drawn using the data taken from the forest census which should indicate the
location of the trees to be extracted and of the matrix (which will be preserved), the location and size of
the places for the stocking of the logs, the position of the skidding trails and the direction for felling of
each tree.

High Conservation Value Forests: For the case of the dry land forests of the Brazilian Amazon High
Conservation Value Forests are those that possess real values of cultural, ecological, religious, historic,
or ecological significance and one or more of the following attributes:
1. forest areas containing globally, regionally or nationally significant concentrations of biodiversity
values (e.g. endemism, endangered species, refugia); and/or large landscape level forests,
contained within, or containing the management unit, where viable populations of most if not all
naturally occurring species exist in natural patterns of distribution and abundance
a. forest areas that are in or contain rare, threatened or endangered ecosystems
b. forest areas that provide basic services of nature in critical situations (e.g. watershed protection,
erosion control)
c. forest areas fundamental to meeting basic needs of local communities (e.g. subsistence, health)
and/or critical to local communities traditional cultural identity (areas of cultural, ecological,
economic or religious significance identified in cooperation with such local communities).
Hydrographic Basin: Total drainage area of the waters that feed a particular set of rivers and their
tributaries formed by microbasins.
Indigenous communities: The existing descendants of the peoples who inhabited the present territory
of a country wholly or partially at the time when persons of a different culture or ethnic origin arrived
there from other parts of the world, overcame them and, by conquest, settlement, or other means
reduced them to a non-dominant or colonial situation; who today live more in conformity with their
particular social, economic and cultural customs and traditions than with the institutions of the country

of which they now form a part, under State structure which incorporates mainly the national, social and
cultural characteristics of other segments of the population which are predominant." (Working definition
adopted by the UN Working Group on Indigenous Peoples).Indigenous people in this document means
indigenous and traditional communities
Indigenous lands and territories: Lands traditionally occupied and permanently inhabited by the
indigenous people, or used for their productive activities, indispensable for the preservation of the
environmental resources necessary to their well-being and necessary to their physical and cultural
reproduction, following their customs and tradition.
Invasive plants (weeds): plants with the capacity to spontaneously colonize new environments
through its own mechanisms of natural regeneration.

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Landscape: a portion of territory defined in function of geomorphologic elements or legal elements.
This can include one or more or parts of a watershed. It includes the physical, biological and anthropic
components contained within this territory.

Legal Reserve: a forest area destined to be a reserve of forest resources (wood, fruits, seeds, leaves,
resins, etc.) subject to management to guarantee the sustainability of the forest area, with the objective
of conserving the natural and economic resources.
Local Community : Human group living adjacent to forest management areas.
Local laws: Includes all legal norms given by organisms of government whose jurisdiction is lower than
the national level, such as departmental, municipal and customary norms.
Local Processing: The first transformation of forestry raw material in situ on which the timber was
felled within the forest management unit.
Long term: The time-scale adopted by of the forest owner or manager according to the objectives of
the management plan, the rate of harvesting, and the commitment to maintain permanent forest cover.
The length of time involved will vary according to the context and ecological conditions, and will be a
function of the period of time needed to a given ecosystem recover its natural structure and
composition following harvesting or disturbance, or to this ecosystem reaches mature or primary
conditions.
Management unit integrity: The composition, dynamic, function, and structural attributes of a natural
ecosystem.
Native Landscape: A geographical mosaic composed of interacting ecosystems resulting from the
influence of geological, topographical, soil, climatic, biotic and human interactions in a given area.
Native species: A species that occurs naturally in the region; endemic to the area.
Natural cycles: Nutrient and mineral cycling as a result of interactions between soils, water, plants,
and animals in forest environments that affect the ecological productivity of a given site.
Natural Ecosystem: Forest areas where the major part of the characteristics and key elements of
native ecosystems, such as complexity, structure and diversity are present, according to definitions of
the national and regional standards of forest management, approved by the FSC.
Non timber forest products: All forest products except timber, including other materials obtained from
trees such as resins and leaves, as well as any other plant and animal products.
100% pre-harvest inventory (forest census): It is a data collection of all the trees with commercial
value that are standing in an area of annual harvest. The inventory should be taken one or two years
before extraction, with demarcation of the stands, opening of orientation and identification trails,
localization and evaluation of the trees of commercial value.

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Tenure: Socially defined agreements made by individuals or groups and recognized by legal statutes,
or by custom, relative to the set off “rights and obligations” over property, occupation, access and/or
use of a unit of private property or its associated resources (i.e. individual trees, plant species, water
resources, mineral resources etc.).
Principle: An essential rule or element; in FSC's case, of forest stewardship.
Permanent Preservation area: For an area to be considered of permanent preservation it is
necessary that forests and other forms of native vegetation are located as follows:
1. 30 (thirty) meters for waterways of less than 10 (dez) meters width;
2. 50 (fifty) meters for waterways between 10 (dez) and 50 (fifty) meters width;
3. 100 (one-hundred) meters for waterways between 50 (fifty) and 200 (two-hundred) meters
width;
4. 200 (two-hundred) meters for waterways between 200 (two-hundred) and 600 (sixhundred) meters width;
5. 500 (five-hundred) meters for waterways wider than 600 (six-hundred) meters.
a) around ponds, lakes or reservoirs, natural or artificial;
b) at headwaters and springs, regardles of the topographic situation, in a minimum radius of
50 (fifty) meters.
c) on the tops of hills, mountains and ridges;
d) on hillsides or parts of hillsides with inclination superior to 45º, equivalent to 100% of the
line of highest inclination.
e) for stabilization of dunes or areas of mangroves;
f) at the edges of tablelands, along the ridge where the releif is ruptured, in a strip not less
than 100 (one-hundred) meters in horizontal width;
g) at elevations superior to 1,800 (one-thousand eight-hundred) meters, no matter what the
vegetation type.
Paragraph one- In the case of urban areas, understood as legally defined urban perimeters,
defined by municipal laws and in metropolitan regions and urban agglomerations, in all the
territory affected, planning and land use laws will be respected, in conformance with the principals
and limits of this article 2.
Rare Specie: a taxa with small world populations which at the present time do not fall into the
categories `endangered or `vulnerable, but which are at risk. In general these are taxa located in
restricted habitats or geographical areas or in larger areas but with small populations.
Regeneration: Act of regenerate; reproduction of what was destroyed; giving new life, forming again,
recuperation.
Secondary Forest: Forest ecosystems which regenerate after substantial disturbance (flooding, fire,
land clearing, extensive or intensive timber harvesting). They are characterized by the scarcity of
mature trees, abundance of pioneer species, and an undergrowth very dense with young and
herbaceous plants.

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Silviculture: The art of cultivate and keep a forest by manipulating its establishment, composition and
growth to best fulfill the objectives of the owner. This may, or may not, include timber production.
Succession: Progressive changes in species composition and forest structure caused by natural
processes (nonhuman interference) over time.
Threatened specie: Any species which is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future
throughout all or a significant portion of its range.
Traditional Community:
All of the knowledge, innovations or practices, individual or collective, of
an indigenous population or traditional community, with real or potential value, whether protected or not
by intellectual property laws.
Traditional Population: A human group which is distinct from a national society because of its social,
cultural and economic conditions and which organizes itself totally or partially according to its own
customs or traditions, or by a special legislation and which, no matter the legal status, conserves its
own social, economic and cultural institutions or part of them. In this document, the term traditional
community is used to describe a more specific social relationship adjacent to the forest management
unit.
Tree felling techniques: Techniques which follow established rules and standards (angle, height and
size of
The “mouth”, size of the hinge, slant of the cut, and height of the felling cut) in order to optimize the
amount of usable timber, avoid accidents and minimize damage to the remaining trees.
Use rights: Rights for the use of forest resources that can be defined by local custom, mutual
agreements, or prescribed by other entities holding access rights. These rights may restrict the use of
particular resources to specific levels of consumption or particular harvesting techniques.
Abbreviations for principle, criteria and indicator utilized in this document.
P1.
P1.c1.
P1.c1.i1

Principle
Criteria
Indicator

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FSC STANDARDS FOR FOREST MANAGEMENT ON “TERRA FIRME” IN THE BRAZILIAN AMAZON
PRINCIPLE #1: COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS AND FSC PRINCIPLES
Forest management shall respect all applicable laws of the country in which they occur, and
international treaties and agreements to which the country is a signatory, and comply with all FSC
Principles and Criteria.
P1.c1 Forest management shall respect all national and local laws and administrative
requirements.
P1.c1.il. Exist knowledge and obedience, by the decision makers of the forest management unit of the
laws applied to the activities developed in the forest management unit, keeping in mind the peculiarities
and the scale of the project.
P1.c1.i2 The forest managers are aware of the laws applied to the activities for which they are responsible.
P1.c1.i3. The responsible for the forest management unit made available for consultation of their team and
other interested parties to information about the applicable legislation relating to the activities.
P1.c1.i4. The forest management unit is registered with the competent environmental agencies, has the
required documentation approved and available for the certification body, such as: management plan;
annual plan of operations; and proof of environmental license, according to the scale of the project and the
specific requirements of the legislation.
P1.c1.i5.The party responsible for the execution of the management plan is a legally licensed professional,
with a contract which reflects an appropriate amount of his/her time dedicated to the project based on the
scale of the enterprise.
P1.c1.i6.The forest management plan has an assured commitment to the maintenance of forest cover, in
accordance with the applicable law.
P1.c1.i7. Within the forest management unit, the permanent preservation areas are not subject to harvest
nor have their physical integrity affected, in accord with the existing legislation.
P1.c2 All applicable and legally prescribed fees, royalties, taxes and other charges shall be paid.
P1.c2.i1. Valid proof of payment, exemption, reduction or other agreements relative to the fees must exist.
P1.c2.i2. The forest enterprise as a legal entity (firms, associations, cooperatives etc.), has the appropriate
operational registry documentation, and professional accounting in accordance with legal requirements.

P1.c3 In signatory countries, the provisions of all binding International agreements such as CITES,
ILO Conventions, ITTA, and Convention on Biological Diversity, shall be respected.
P1.c3.i1 In Forest Management Unit the Convention of climatic Change shall be respected.

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P1.c3.i2 In Forest Management Unit CITES Convention should be respected.
P1.c3.i3 In Forest Management Unit OIT Convention should be respected.
P1.c3.i4 In Forest Management Unit ITTA Convention should be respected.
P1.c3.i5 In Forest Management Unit biological diversity convention should be respected.
P1.c4. Conflicts between laws, regulations and the FSC Principles and Criteria shall be evaluated for
the purposes of certification, on a case by case basis, by the certifiers and the involved or affected
parties.
P1.c5. Forest management areas should be protected from illegal harvesting, settlement and other
unauthorized activities.
P1.c5.i1 Existence of effective action to prevent and/or control:
i. The invasion of third parties capable of affecting the management;
ii. Forest fires.
P1.c5.i2. Notification of competent authorities in regard to any infraction committed.
P1.c5.i3. Prevision of measures to protected against hunting, predatory fishing, predatory extractivism,
fire and illegal occupation.
P1.c6. Forest managers shall demonstrate a long-term commitment to adhere to the FSC
Principles and Criteria.
P1.c6.i1. Written documents exist assuming the commitment and the intention to protect and maintain the
long-term integrity of the management unit, in accord with the management plan and the P&C of FSC.
P1.c6.i2. Measures exist for the protection and conservation of the forest management unit, such as
measures against illegal land occupation, protection against and fighting of forest fires and protection of
wildlife.
P1.c6.i3.A plan exist which clearly defines the existence of, or strategy for, long-term operational
investments of forest operations.
P1.c6.i4. In the case of community management, plans for the distribution of income and of fundraising
that, which demonstrate the long-term commitment of the community to forest management, will be
considered.
P1.c7. Evidence must not exist (i.e. studies in journals and research institutions, extension
agencies, government technicians, environmental control agencies or community organizations)
which lead to proof that the forest manager has allowed illegal extraction of timber in indigenous
reserves, conservation units, government lands or lands belonging to third parties.1

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P1.c7 is a new criteria to access better the FSC Principles in Brasil

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P1.c8. The forest manager must have proof of compliance with the labor laws.2
P1.c8.i1. Proof of Work contracts for all workers must exist, with all fees paid and rights guaranteed.
P1.c8.i2. In the case of forest management units, working agreements adjustments and contracts related
to labor relations are observed, as applicable.
P1.c9. In the case of pending administrative or judicial rulings relative to forest, environmental,
labor or tax legislation, the forest manager must show proof of his/her efforts to resolve the
problems.3
P1.c9.i1 A list of pending, efforts undertaken, to be taken, and implementation of deadlines.

PRINCIPLE #2: TENURE AND USE RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Long-term tenure and use rights to the land and forest resources shall be clearly defined,
documented and legally established.
P2.c1. Clear evidence of long-term forest use rights to the land (e.g. land title, customary rights, or
lease agreements) shall be demonstrated.
P2.c1.i1. The forest manager has legal documentation of use rights, which assures the continuity of forest
management, including time for at least one cutting rotation, in accordance with the forest management
plan.
P2.c2. Local communities with legal or customary tenure or use rights shall maintain control, to
the extent necessary to protect their rights or resources, over forest operations unless they
delegate control with free and informed consent to other agencies.
P2.c2.i1. In Community management exist formal agreement between the forest manager and the local
community which guarantee socioeconomic benefits to the latter.
P2.c2.i2 Local communities shall be compensated for the application of their traditional knowledge
regarding the use of forest species or management systems in forest operations. This compensation shall
be formally agreed upon with their free and informed consent before forest operations commence
P2.c2.i3 Documented proof of delegation of use rights of the forest exists.
P2.c2.i4 Maps or drawings or written documents which identify the areas owned and/or with land use
rights, and the neighboring areas exist
P2.c3. Appropriate mechanisms shall be employed to resolve disputes over tenure claims and use
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P1.c8 is a new criteria to access better the FSC Principles in Brasil

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P1.c9 is a new criteria to access better the FSC Principles in Brasil

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rights. The circumstances and status of any outstanding disputes will be explicitly considered in
the certification evaluation. Disputes of substantial magnitude involving a significant number of
interests will normally disqualify an operation from being certified.
P2.c3.i1No evidence of disrespect for the rights of traditional communities or illegitimate agreements,
obtained through the use of documents or interviews with inhabitants, NGOs, Labor Unions, Cooperatives,
Associations or other parties involved exist.
P2.c3.i2. Documented mechanisms for the resolution of conflicts exist.
P2.c3.i3.Threats to the physical integrity of the parties involved, including the natural resources in dispute,
exist.
P2.c3.i4 . In the case of community forestry, there are documents accepted by the competent bodies and
that characterize the right of use and land ownership.
P2.c3.i5 . In the case of administrative or legal disputes in forest management units, are in compliance the
agreements, settlements and contacts between the parties.
P2.c3.i6 . The area under forest management is not involved in litigation right of use and tenure,
formalized or not, that impede or endanger the forest management activities.
P2.c3.i7 . In case of administrative or legal disputes, the owner or responsible for the forest management
unit having acted objectively and expeditiously in solving problem, listing the pending issues actions taken
and those to be forward, and their execution times.
P2.c4 The owner document situation of local communities with rights of customary possession or
use of the land in the management unit must be normalized through documented agreements
which ensure their presence in harmony with the forest management activities, or which promote
their relocation in a participate and planned manner, or which foresee fair remuneration.4
P2.c4.i1. Exist maps or layouts or written documents, which identify the areas, owned and/or of customary
use rights, their inhabitants, and the neighboring areas.
P2.c4.i2. The forest manager strives to resolve conflicts, before, during and after certification.
P2.c4.i3. Conflicts, when they exist, are resolved fairly, and the agreements reached are satisfactory to
both sides.
P2.c4.i4. In the case of conflicts involving local communities, their resolution has the participation of a
social representative (NGOs conventioneer, Labor Unions and/or others).

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P2.c4 a new criteria to access better the FSC Principles in Brasil

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PRINCIPLE #3 INDIGENOUS PEOPLES'5 RIGHTS
The legal and customary rights of indigenous peoples to own, use and manage their lands,
territories, and resources shall be recognized and respected.
P3.c1. Indigenous peoples shall control
forest management on their lands and territories
unless they delegate control with free and informed consent to other agencies.
P3.c1.i1. Effective participation of indigenous communities and/or traditional communities exists –
considering their forms of representation and negotiation – for the process of deciding on practices and
their implications for forest management.
P3.c1.i2. For the elaboration and implementation of forest management plan is considered the
differentiated use of each part of the territory.
P3.c2. Forest management shall not threaten or diminish, either directly or indirectly, the resources
or tenure rights of indigenous peoples.
P3.c2.i1. Negotiations with indigenous or traditional communities, which are related to management
activities, are done through representatives appointed by these communities and, preferably, supported by
government institutions and NGOs, which defend the rights of indigenous peoples and/or of traditional
communities.
P3.c2.i2. Use concession contracts for forest management, which involve indigenous reserves or areas
belonging to traditional communities, and the responsibilities resulting from forest management activities
related to these contracts, must be explicitly considered in the forest management plan.
P3.c2.i3. The negotiations related to management activities are documented in a written or audiovisual
form.
P3.c2.i4. Information is presented in regard to the identity and location of all of the communities,
associations and cooperatives, indigenous and/or traditional, which border on the forest management unit,
or which are being affected, or which are claiming rights over the area.
P3.c2.i5. The affected communities are called upon to discuss the socio-environmental impacts of forest
management. In this case, the forest manager takes the necessary mitigating measures to minimize the
negative socio-environmental impacts.
P3.c2.i6. In the case where the harvest results in impact on the indigenous or traditional lands, the
community is called upon to discuss the socio-environmental impacts on the community. In this case, the
forest manager implement mitigating measures necessary to guarantee that the enterprise does not cause
damage to the community.
P3.c3. Sites of special cultural, ecological, economic or religious significance to indigenous
peoples shall be clearly identified in cooperation with such peoples, and recognized and
protected by forest managers.
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For this document Indigenous People means Indigenous Peoples more Traditional Community

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P3.c3.i1.There is a description of areas of special value in the management plan.
P3.c3.i2. There are maps, drawings or written documentation which identifies the location of special
areas.

P3.c4. Indigenous peoples shall be compensated for the application of their traditional
knowledge regarding the use of forest species or management systems in forest operations.
This compensation shall be formally agreed upon with their free and informed consent before
forest operations commence.
P3.c5. Necessary and objective measures should be taken to avoid negative social impacts from
the forest management activities in order to contribute to the cultural diversity of indigenous and
traditional communities.6
P3.c5.i1. The workers involved in forest management activities have health certificates and up-to-date
vaccinations.
P3.c5.i2. Existence of measures to mitigate the negative impact, resulting from the presence and conduct
of personnel involved in forest management, on the life of traditional and indigenous communities, as
health, culture, among other.
P3.c5.i3 The involvement of members of traditional or indigenous communities in forest management
activities does not cause negative impact on the social organization or institutions of the community, as
health, culture, among other.
P3.c5.i4. Management practices incorporate, depending on the scale of the enterprise, the knowledge of
the traditional and/or indigenous communities.

PRINCIPLE #4: COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND WORKER'S RIGHTS
Forest management operations shall maintain or enhance the long-term social and economic
well-being of forest workers
and local communities.
P4.c1The communities within, or adjacent to, the forest management area should be given
opportunities for employment, training, and other services.
P4.c1.i1.There is a record of the contractual process used for labor acquisition and of the percentage of
this labor which comes from the local region.
P4.c1.i2.There is evidence of non-discrimination in relation to race, religion, sex and political orientation
in labor hiring practices.
6

P3.c5 is a new criteria assessment better the principle.

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P4.c1.i3.There is an effective program of training of workers and local community members in the
management unit.
P4.c1.i4.There are initiatives to stimulate the participation of local communities in forest management
unit activities.
P4.c1.i5.The forest management unit is available as an area for study and for environmental education
as well as for the formation of professionals, taking into consideration the peculiarities of the enterprise.
P4.c1.i6.The harvest practices of non-timber forest products by the local communities are described in
the management plan.
P4.c2. Forest management should meet or exceed all applicable laws and/or regulations covering
health and safety of employees and their families.
P4.c2.i1. Considering regional conditions, working conditions for all workers in the forest management
unit are healthful, hygienic and secure, including:
(a) quality of food and water;
(b) living conditions in the camps;
(c) existence of an occupational health program;
(d) ergonomic conditions of the activities;
(e) existence of a program of environmental risk prevention – PPRA;
(f) monitoring of environmental conditions of the work.
P4.c2.i2. Labor legislation regarding occupational health is complied.
P4.c2.i3. Non-forest residues, resulting from forest management activities are manipulated, and disposed
of, adequately and recycled and reutilized whenever possible.
P4.c2.i4.Workers utilize individual safety and protective equipment, without onus, and adequate for the
operations to be carried out. Rules, which prohibit working without this equipment, exist.
P4.c2.i5. An internal safety commission (CIPA), in compliance with NR57, exists.
P4.c2.i6. Educational programs for the prevention of accidents, use of equipment and procedures for
hygiene and safety in the working environment exist.
P4.c2.i7. The maintenance, storage and utilization of equipment and products is performed correctly,
with a view to the safety of the workers.
P4.c2.i8. Adequate rest periods are given during and between work shifts.
P4.c2.i9. In case of accidents, medical assistance is quickly available and the forest manager is
responsible for all costs associated with the worker’s recuperation and damage to his health, in
conformance with current legislation.
7

CIPA means Internal Commission to Prevent Accident. NR - regulatory norm of labor legislation

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P4.c2.i10. A rescue plan, including first aid courses, removal of injured workers in a rapid and safe
manner with periodic updating, is in existence. Health agencies from the local communities are given the
opportunity to participate in the training program.
P4.c2.i11. Workers occupy jobs for which they are qualified.
P4.c2.i12. Reduction of employee turnover and of the number of temporary jobs over time are observed.
P4.c2.i13. Records are kept over time which demonstrate a reduction in the frequency and gravity of
work accidents, in accord with existing technical norms and including the publishing of the results.
P4.c2.i14. Information, advertisements and signs exist which permit passers-by, employees and/or
visitors, to identify and report situations, which put their safety and/or health at risk.
P4.c2.i15. The transport of workers shall be made in appropriate vehicles and in appropriate conditions to
ensure the quality and security in accordance with current legislation or specific agreements between the
parties.
P4.c2.i16 The work of teenagers, aged 14 and 18, should meet the regulations set forth by Brazilian law.
P4.c2.i17. Existence of records of workers in the age group from 14 to 18 years old and their respective
jobs.
P4.c2.i18. Proof of the educational level of workers between the ages of 14 and 18 exists.
P4.c2.i19. Proof that the activities of workers between the ages of 14 and 18 are not arduous or
unnecessarily difficult, exists.
P4.c2.i20. The work of women, especially during pregnancy and breastfeeding should be accompanied by
measures mitigating risks to the health of the mother and child inherent to the activity carried out.
P4.c2.i21. Records of maternity and nursing leave given to women exist
P4.c2.i22. There should be mechanisms for dialogue and resolution of complaints between the worker and
the employer, including representation formally recognized by workers.
P4.c2.i23. Number of agreements signed between the parties.
P4.c2.i24. Existence of documents proving the dialogue between the parties.
P4.c2.i25. Workers must have wage at least equal to the market average in the region, according to
productive activity performed.
P4.c2.i26. In the case of community management, the workers involved define, by common agreement,
the salary levels and division of benefits.
P4.c2.i27. Salary levels for the equivalent jobs are not differentiated between genders.
P4.c2.i28. In the event of substantial changes if the employment framework, the responsible for forest
management unit should provide support for the professional reorientation of workers.
P4.c2.i29. The adoption of programs or flexible work strategies should not result in losses for the rights
lawfully acquired by forest workers. There must be a sustained effort to reduce the differences between the
employees and contractors' employees.

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P4.c2.i30. Internal procedures exist which guarantee that third part workers obey the labor laws and the
locally established labor agreements.
P4.c2.i31. The ‘aviamento’ system, is not practiced.
P4.c3 The rights of workers to organize and voluntarily negotiate with their employers shall be
guaranteed as outlined in Conventions 87 and 98 of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
P4.c3.i1.Evidence of freedom of association and membership in worker’s unions exists.
P4.c3.i2.Incentives for the participation of institutions specialized in training and education of workers are
offered.
P4.c3.i3.Agreements and documented negotiations with labor unions, or other formal representation
legally recognized by the workers, exist.
P4.c3.i4. FSC guidelines are respected in accordance with the ILO convention.
P4.c4. Management planning and operations shall incorporate the results of evaluations of social
impact. Consultations shall be maintained with people and groups directly affected by
management operations.
P4.c4.i1. Evidence exists that the result of social impact studies are considered in the management plan.
P4.c4.i2. Programs of communication and channels for dialogue, on the part of the forest manager, which
permit the communication of concerns on the part of the community, exist.
P4.c4.i3. Programs in partnership with local government and with entities which represent the local
community, as well as projects of social interest in collaboration with research institutions and universities,
exist.
P4.c5. Appropriate mechanisms shall be employed for resolving grievances and for providing
fair compensation in the case of loss or damage affecting the legal or customary rights, property,
resources, or livelihoods of local peoples. Measures shall be taken to avoid such loss or damage.
P4.c5.i1. Exist records which identify concrete cases of negative impact which merit compensation.
P4.c5.i2. Written policies exist which define procedures for furnishing compensation in case of negative
impact.

PRINCIPLE # 5: BENEFITS FROM THE FOREST
Forest management operations shall encourage the efficient use of the forest's multiple
products and services to ensure economic viability and a wide
range of
environmental
and
social benefits.
P5.c1. Forest management should strive toward economic viability, while taking into account
the full environmental, social,
and operational costs of production, and ensuring the

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investments necessary to maintain the ecological productivity of the forest.
P5.c1.i1. A plan exists to reduce the dependency of donors agencies.
P5.c1.i2. The forest management unit maintains plans for financial investments and budgets which
contemplate the activities foreseen in the management plan and which are available to the certification
body.
P5.c2. Forest management and marketing operations should encourage the optimal use and
local processing of the forest's diversity of products.
P5.c2.i1. The forest management unit supports surrounding community initiatives and in-company
initiatives for the collection and processing of residues and the reduction of the amount of residues
produced by the unit.
P5.c2.i2. Studies of the potential for timber and non-timber products in the forest management unit exist.
P5.c2.i3. A plan with practices that are employed to optimize the use of forest resources exist.

P5.c3. Forest management should minimize waste associated with harvesting and
operations and avoid damage to other forest resources

processing

P5.c3.i1. There is little evidence of high stumps, topping with excessive waste, splits in trunks caused by
poor felling technique or of felled logs left behind in the forest.
P5.c3.i2 Equipment which is technically suitable and economically viable is in use
P5.c3.i3 There is evidence of reduction in the generation of residual material.
P5.c3.i4 Suitable practices for the disposal of residual material from the harvest and processing of the
timber are employed.
P5.c4. Forest management should strive to strengthen and diversify the local economy, avoiding
dependence on a single forest product.
P5.c4.i1. The forest manager promotes and values the commercial use of less known species.
P5.c4.i2. In order to obtain certification in the case of management of non-timber forest products,
inventories exist with estimates of stocking, value, harvesting techniques, market and environmental
impact information, taking into account the ecology of the species which have potential for management.
P5.c4.i3. Exist actions that demonstrate that the production and commercialization of new species of
timber, not-timber products and environmental services. from the Management Unit are implanted.
P5.c4.i4. Local initiatives for the use, processing and/or commercialization of forest products are
stimulated.

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P5.c4.i5. Local suppliers of goods and services are given preference.
P5.c5. Forest management operations shall recognize, maintain, and, where appropriate,
enhance the value of forest services and resources such as watersheds and fisheries.
P5.c5.i1. Existence of a plan to extend the value of forest resources and services.
P5.c6. The rate of harvest of forest products shall not exceed levels which can be permanently
sustained
P5.c6.i1. Inventories, with data on productivity which justify the cutting rotation and the intensity of
extraction, exist.
P5.c6.i2. In the case of community forest management, the intensity and frequency of extraction can be
based on the scientific literature and proven field experience, without the necessity of continuous data from
the management unit.
P5.c6 i3 The commercial volume per hectare to be extracted is based on the population structure of the
various species.

PRINCIPLE #6: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Forest management shall conserve biological diversity and its associated values, water
resources, soils, and unique and fragile ecosystems and landscapes, and, by so doing, maintain
the ecological functions and the integrity of the forest.
P6.c1. Assessment of environmental impacts shall be completed -- appropriate to the scale,
intensity of forest management and the uniqueness of the affected resources -- and adequately
integrated into management systems. Assessments shall include landscape level considerations
as well as the impacts of on-site processing facilities. Environmental impacts shall be assessed
prior to commencement of site-disturbing operations.
P6.c1.i1. Identification of the environmental impact of forest activities both timber and non-timber, and the
definition of mitigating measures exist.
P6.c1.i2. Identification and mapping (with maps or drawings, according to the scale of the enterprise) and
protection of ecological, historical, archeological, cavernous sites or sites of value are foreseen in the
management and operational plans.
P6.c2. Safeguards shall exist which protect rare, threatened and endangered species and their
habitats (e.g., nesting and feeding areas). Conservation zones and protection areas shall be
established, appropriate to the scale and intensity of forest management and the un